SLINT "SPIDERLAND"
Touch and Go, 1991
1. Breadcrumb Trail
2. Nosferatu Man
3. Don, Aman
4. Washer
5. For Dinner
6. Good Morning Captain
This goes without saying, eh? Of course it's a classic, maybe I wanted to start these threads to highlight records that don't get enough attention.. but fuck it, this album gets plenty of attention, and it's still too good for me to go without speaking about it.... I had never heard ANYTHING like this when I first heard this.. the only reason I checked it out is because I bought "At Action Park" when I was 14 and someone on the internet described the song 'Idea of North' as Slint-like. So, I listened to Slint...
Some will say this album is way too overrated, but I digress.. never will you hear such a bleak, cold, minimal recording that, uh, actually rocks in parts. 6 perfect and completely different songs, united by some complex (but not over-the-top) rhythms, weird guitar playing with an emphasis on harmonics, spoken word vocals. What REALLY strikes me about this album, though, is the atmosphere in the recording. Blame it on a limited recording budget, a very competent (or incompetent) producer, or ... something else (the mental breakdowns?) .. but this recording has a dark atmosphere unlike any I've ever heard. How the fuck did they do that?
Begins perfect and ends perfect with nothing bad in the middle. I actually think "For Dinner" is my favorite song on the album, the way it rises out of the darkness and keeps falling apart. It seems to be filler, but it's placement of the album is perfect. And uh... "I'm sorry, and I miss you." For those who haven't heard this album (?!??!?), think Jandek making kinda mathy rock. There you go.
A classic.